ST. CLOUD — It's been about a week since Central Minnesota experienced the record-setting low temperatures and wind chills from the polar vortex — and folks have begun emerging from the cold-induced hibernation.

But another danger lurks below.

Freezing rain on Sunday left a layer of ice on nearly every surface. And with temperatures expected to remain below freezing for the next week or so, the ice isn't going anywhere soon.

St. Cloud Hospital has already seen an influx of injuries related to falls and, as of Tuesday, staff expected more in the next few days.

"Today, I personally have seen four people with fall-related injuries. Three of them are broken (bones) and two are requiring operation," said Dr. Kurt Belk, medical director of the emergency trauma center at the hospital.

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A student walks between classes as light snow falls on a sidewalk Tuesday, Feb. 5, at St. Cloud State University. (Photo11: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

The snow flurries expected to fall over the next few days won't help matters either.

"Once snow starts covering the slippery areas ... and you can't see it, I think we're just going to see more of it over the next 48 hours," Belk said Tuesday.

The most common fall-related injuries are to the upper extremities, but ankle injuries are common, too.

On Tuesday, Belk saw a patient with a broken hip, a patient with a broken wrist and a patient with a broken forearm.

The ages of the patients ranged from a teenager to a Baby Boomer.

"It is across the spectrum. No one is immune from slipping on glare ice," Belk said.

Belk said there is not a safe way to fall on ice — especially because people don't anticipate it. But it's important to curl up your body to protect your head.

"The human instinct is to protect your face and your head so you usually fall with an arm ... to break your fall, and the impact of the fall tends to break those parts," he said.

Students make their way between buildings as light snow falls Tuesday, Feb. 5, at St. Cloud State University. (Photo11: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Generally a broken limb isn't life-threatening. But it is burdensome.

"For the person who ends up with a fracture and is in a cast for four to six weeks, that is a significant impact on either a student or a professional," Belk said.

Belk said the hospital has seen an increase in cold exposure-related injuries in the past week such as frostbite and frostnip, but no one has died from cold exposure.

"We have also seen a significant increase in automobile victims from trauma from cars sliding off the road into the ditch (or) cars hitting each other just because the intersections are still pretty icy," he said. "And just a lot of falls."